FIFE Health and Social Care Partnership have announced that out of hours contingency measures are set to continue for the next six months.

Nursing and medical staff shortages led to overnight urgent care at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline closing in April last year, resulting in Dunfermline and West Fife patients needing care having to travel to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

The changes were only supposed to last for three months, but this will now remain in place until the end of August.

A further update will now be provided in July.

The Partnership have said the decision has been taken to ensure patient safety.

Michael Kellet, director, said: “Our patients are our main priority, keeping them safe and providing a quality service. To ensure this happens we need to extend contingency measures for out of hours care for a further six months. Staff shortages continues to be the biggest challenge.”

“Fife like many other areas across the UK is experiencing the impact of national shortages of key staff in this area. Recruitment of GPs and nursing staff remains a focus for us and feedback from the recent Joining Up Care consultation will help to inform how we move this forward. We will continually review performance over the next six months and provide an update at the end of July."

Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville has branded the decision as "simply unacceptable".

She said: "It’s concerning news that Fife Health and Social Care Partnership will be continuing contingency measures for out-of-hours GP services for a further six months.

“Since April last year, Dunfermline and West Fife residents who need to access these services have had to travel all the way to Kirkcaldy, often at their own expense. This is simply unacceptable.

“The contingency measures need to be reversed as soon as possible, and services restored and improved at the Queen Margaret. And in the meanwhile, transport to Kirkcaldy should be covered by the Health and Social Care Partnership.

“I’ll be continuing to engage with the Partnership to press for further action to be taken to address the staffing issue at the core of this problem.”

At the present time, out-of-hours at QMH runs from 6pm-midnight Monday to Friday, and from 8am-midnight on weekends and public holidays, but between midnight and 8am patients have to go to Kirkcaldy's Victoria Hospital.